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14 January 2014

Now that it’s 2014, RootsTech is almost upon us, so the genealogy industry is abuzz with new and emerging technologies for family history. Consider what’s been happening in the mobile space this last year:

Smartphone usage in the U.S. increased by 50 percent (Kleiner Perkins)

The number of emails being opened on mobile increased by 330 percent (Litmus)

Tablet usage doubled in the U.S. (Pew Research Center)

The bottom line: More than ever folks are accessing websites, videos, podcasts, blogs and other online information on their mobile devices.As part of its mission, RootsTech helps family historians embrace these new technologies. Well, RootsTech has already gotten off to a running start by introducing attendees to Flipboard, a free magazine app available for all major mobile platforms. RootsTech 2014: Where Genealogy and Technology Converge is a Flipboard magazine published by Genealogy Gems in conjunction with the RootsTech team. I’m writing to invite you to experience the magazine for yourself (if you haven’t already) and share it with your audience. The magazine crowd-sources great web content from RootsTech speakers, exhibitors, and official bloggers in one beautiful and convenient place. It is multimedia, too – you’ll find video and audio content as well as text.How to Access the Magazine in Flipboard:1.Get the free Flipboard app at flipboard.com, in iTunes or Google Play.2.Set up your free account.3.In the search box at the top of the homepage, search for ROOTSTECH.4.Tap “RootsTech 2014″ by Lisa Louise Cooke (you’ll see a magazine icon next to it).5.When the magazine loads, tap the SUBSCRIBE icon at the top of the page.6.Starting at the right hand side of the page, swipe your finger from right to left over each page to “flip!”You can also access the magazine through your browser at http://tinyurl.com/RootsTech2014.As you can see, Flipboard offers exciting possibilities for curating, organizing, and presenting online content. It aggregates social network, other online content and RSS channels for Android, Blackberry 10, iOS, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8. Content is presented in a captivating magazine format, allowing users to “flip” through it with a simple swipe of the finger.As a genealogy new media content creator and publisher, Genealogy Gems is excited to introduce this creative use of this emerging technology to the genealogy industry. Check out two more new FREE Flipboard issues from Lisa Louise Cooke that you can share with your audience: